We added the following new talks to our Speakers Bureau Catalog in 2025 & 2026 and will continue to update the catalog. Click on the photos or the links for more information about each talk.
The U.S. has been at war, in one form or another, for all but about 18 of the past 250 years of the county’s existence. What does this mean if this is a constant in our lives? How do we invite the conservatives and progressives into the room to talk together?
Join Will Eberle as he helps individuals and communities identify the lingo and phraseology that so often “triggers” people of differing viewpoints and prevents real communication and understanding.
Have you ever wondered where electricity comes from, how the internet works, or how there’s (mostly) enough water for everyone all the time? Where did these systems come from, and how do they affect our challenges like inequality and climate change? Join Vermont author and artist Dan Nott for a look at these questions and more as he discusses his new nonfiction graphic novel, “Hidden Systems” for this all-ages talk.
What does it take to turn a creative spark into something sustainable—and maybe even life-changing? In this engaging and practical talk, collage artist and creative entrepreneur Michael Sjostedt shares how his creative side hustles evolved over the years, helping him navigate economic downturns and career transitions while building community through art.
This project will bring together Vermonters from across the state to discuss the founding principles and future of the Vermont National Guard, its relationship to the U.S. Constitution, and criteria for deployment to combat around the world. Veterans, service members, and their family members are particularly encouraged to participate in this discussion.
In this lively, hands-on presentation, participants will be introduced to the fundamentals of cartooning as both an art form and a communication tool. Drawing on the past, present, and future of the medium, the session expands how we think about comics—not just as entertainment, but as a flexible language capable of conveying complex ideas with clarity and emotional impact. No prior drawing experience required!
What can ordinary people do when democratic norms feel fragile, federal power expands, and communities most affected by conflict and climate disasters struggle to be heard? This presentation explores a continuum of nonviolent strategies available to communities seeking to protect their families and their voices—from calm, local acts of solidarity to election-related engagement, state-level legislative initiatives, and coordinated multi-state efforts.
Devastating recent rain events, including in July 2023 and 2024 and Tropical Storm Irene in 2011, have demonstrated that many communities in Vermont are vulnerable to damage from flooding. Historian Alan Berolzheimer examines how the development of settlement patterns over time have contributed to the problem of flooding in Vermont. Presentations will be adapted with town-specific content to the extent possible.
The First Amendment protects the free exercise of religion. The Fourteenth Amendment affords all persons equal protection under the law. What happens when those two rights collide? Constitutional law scholar Meg Mott considers whether protections for religious liberties must come at the expense of non-discrimination statutes.
New York Times bestselling author M. T. Anderson, whose National Book Award-winning novel The Pox Party explored this history, will discuss some of the lost and overlooked stories of that revolution within the Revolution, and why they’re important to remember in this celebratory anniversary year.
National Book Award winner M. T. Anderson, author of Vermont Book Award Finalist Nicked, will talk about the historical St. Nicholas and the theft of his corpse, pulling from medieval accounts, the modern archaeological evidence from his tomb, and the forensic evidence of his body, which now lies beneath a floor in Apulia.
A hurricane will never surprise us again. But that’s what happened to the people of New England on September 21, 1938. Without any warning, the most destructive weather event ever to hit the Northeast pummeled the coast and blasted its way to Vermont and New Hampshire with torrential rain, flooding, and sustained winds over 100 miles per hour.
Our seasonal “Words in the Woods” program allows Vermonters and visitors to enjoy our state’s natural beauty while listening to and reading literature in the outdoors.
Humanities Camps are filled with reading and writing projects, field trips, and outdoor activities.
We won a 2020 Schwartz Prize for best public humanities programming in the U.S. for Vermont Reads 2019: “March: Book One.”
We supported the Chandler Center for the Arts’ Global Connections Youth Outreach program, which highlights artists from around the world.
Our free public events help bring the power of the humanities to communities across Vermont.
